An F-35 pilot’s helmet costs more than a Ferrari and takes two days to get fitted

August 12, 2021 Aggregate F-35 Development Comments Off on An F-35 pilot’s helmet costs more than a Ferrari and takes two days to get fitted
F-35 Generation III Helmet
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Farnsworth, 419th Operations Support Squadron, poses for a photo to demonstrate the F-35 Generation III Helmet-Mounted Display at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, on July 10, 2021. The display provides the pilot critical information, built-in night vision, and allows a 360-degree view of the aircraft’s outside environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Erica Webster). Full story – Return to The Florida Pilot

If you’re looking for a helmet for the advanced F-35 Lightning II, then get ready to put down enough money to buy a Ferrari sports car, undergo a two-day fitting process, keep your hair generally in the same shape, avoid putting on weight, and check in three times a year to make sure it still fits perfectly.

At least, that seems to be the process described in a new Air Force press release detailing just how much work it takes to keep one part of the $78 million F-35 fighter ready to fly.

“Pilots come in and put on all their gear so we can double-check to make sure everything fits properly and without issue,” said Staff Sgt. AJ Arteaga, an aircrew flight equipment reservist with the 419th Operations Support Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

“Small things such as a new haircut or a couple of pounds gained could cause the helmet to not fit correctly,” Arteaga said.